Later on Monday morning I met Richard Russell, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Arts Council England, together with Phil Cave, Meli Hatzihrysidis and Sian Clarke from ACE, to discuss opportunities and challenges for the arts within the Government’s Big Society agenda and the ways in which the amateur arts sector could work with ACE in this area. Richard was keen to look at how Voluntary Arts might help ACE in the development of sustainable relationships with local authorities. We discussed the practical steps that would be needed to build in the amateur arts within partnerships with local authorities and agreed to pursue the idea of several geographical pilots. It was a very encouraging meeting, with Richard stressing the importance of Voluntary Arts acting as a partner to ACE in this work.